INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENERGY

1. Energy Community Secretariat

The main RCC partner in the area of energy is the Energy Community Secretariat (ECS) with the seat in Vienna. The ECS is an international organization, institution established by the Treaty establishing the Energy Community (TeEC) involving Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Croatia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Republic of Serbia and UNMIK pursuant to the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 as Contracting Parties and the European Community.

The main task of the ECS is to support and monitor implementation of the TeEC through close cooperation with the European Commission (EC).

Taking into account its task of monitoring the Energy Community developments and political support to the TeEC implementation, the RCC is invited to actively participate in the events (co)organized by the ECS as well as meetings of other institutions established by the TeEC (Ministerial Council, Permanent High Level Group, Athens Forum and Maribor Forum).

Concrete cooperation between the RCC and ECS considered for the near future consists of:

• RCC participation in the Energy Investment Conference that would be organized at the highest political level by the ECS and EBRD,  
• organization of workshops for particular RCC members from SEE representatives of the parliamentary committees in charge of energy in order to back law making process and parliamentarians ability to oversee their governments,
• organization of events that would mitigate social implications of the TeEC implementation,
• support to local authorities concerning municipal energy planning and implementation of municipal energy projects.

2. South East Europe Transport Observatory Permanent Secretariat

The main RCC partner in the transport sector is the South East Europe Transport Observatory (SEETO) Permanent Secretariat based in Belgrade.

This organization, established by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the development of the SEE Core Regional Transport Network, signed by Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Croatia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Republic of Serbia and UNMIK pursuant to the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and the European Commission, is tasked to assist the MoU participants to implement the Memorandum. A very important part of the MoU implementation is SEETO cooperation with the participants and preparation of the Multi Annual Plan (MAP) as a rolling work programme. MAP 2009-2013 has been recently approved by the SEETO Steering Committee and adopted by the Annual Meeting of Transport Ministers.

The RCC politically supports SEETO operation (improvements in collection of necessary transport data; overcoming critical issues like adoption of the EU transport acquis communautaire, road safety, cross-border facilitation, attracting investments in transport infrastructure; promoting SEE Railway Transport Area to be implemented by 2012, inland transport waterways as the economically and environmentally convenient transport option and the Transport Community). SEETO involvement will be important for the realization of a Water Conference dealing with sustainable use and integrated management of water resources to be organized by the RCC Secretariat, the Environment, Housing and Land Management Division of the UNECE, the International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC), the Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) and some other stakeholders.

The ISRBC has been established for purpose of the implementation of the Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin (FASRB), namely the provision of cooperation of the Parties to the FASRB, for realization of the following goals: establishment of an international regime of navigation on the Sava River and its navigable tributaries; establishment of sustainable water management; undertaking of measures to prevent or limit hazards, such as floods, ice, droughts and accidents involving substances hazardous to water, and to reduce or eliminate related adverse consequences.

3. Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe

The RCC Secretariat has agreed with the Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) to implement the Framework Programme – Roadmap for Environmental Cooperation in SEE.

The REC is a non-partisan, non-advocacy, not-for-profit international organization with a mission to assist in solving environmental problems in the region. The center fulfils this mission by promoting cooperation among non-governmental organizations, governments, businesses and other environmental stakeholders, and by supporting the free exchange of information and public participation in environmental decision making. REC is legally based on a charter signed by the governments of 29 countries and the European Commission, and on an international agreement with the government of Hungary. The REC has its head office in Szentendre, Hungary, and country offices and field offices in 17 beneficiary countries.

The Framework Programme includes series of high level thematic conferences with quarterly realization. The first conference, Ministerial Conference “Combating Climate Change in SEE” that took place on 14 November 2008 in Sarajevo, gathered environmental ministers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, and resulted in adoption of the Joint Ministerial Statement which approved “Climate Change Framework Action Plan for Adaptation”. Under the Framework Programme, the following additional thematic conferences will be organized related to: Natura 2000 in SEE, multilateral cooperation on environment through Multilateral Environmental Agreements in SEE and priority environmental infrastructure investments in SEE. All conferences will be complementary to some of the ongoing multilateral processes (e.g. REReP, RENA), or projects.

4. Central European Initiative

The RCC has initiated an agreement on cooperation with the Central European Initiative (CEI). The CEI expressed interest to cooperate in the area of sustainable energy development, energy efficiency and to be a part of the implementation of the Framework Program launched by the RCC and the REC. One of main CEI’s objectives is to bring the countries of Central and Eastern Europe closer together and assist them in their preparation process for EU membership.